om er 
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ri {At 


ADULT TLLETERACY IN THE UNTTED STARES 


Alice ls Irving 


Submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the d egree of 


mnoter of Arts 
in 
Education 
in the 
GRADDATE DIVISION 
of the 


UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 


- DECEMBER) 1920 
N\ Oey 
G 


APPPOVO coer screener ern e es ener mene ee HEA H ERE Eee HEE HEHE He HE OeEEEE 


Deposited in the University LEDPAP Yee ceeecsecarseaceeeeneenesereenesee 
Date Librarian, 


TA ON & 


Adult Illiteracy in the United States. 
‘Ite Menace and Means of Elimination. | 


Lliterates are those persons above the age of ten yeuee his 
cannot read or write, and Literates are those who have had even 
the slightest, amount of schooling. Many literates may be ignorant, 
but illiterates cannot even write their own names, Many an 
illiterate man who ean only make his mark for his signature is 
better equipped for citizenship than some high school graduates. 
Sehooling supplements but ean never replace worldly wisdom and 
experience, Neverethoeloss, the ability to read and write is 
fundamental, and lack of this equipment is such e handigap that 
illiteracy implies ignorance. 

Intelligence implies mental quality, gapacity and ability; 
wntyained, its usefulness is restricted; in an illiterate, intelligence 
ie stunted and imperfectly applied, 

Goverment, by representation rests upon the intelligence of all, 
and intelligence depends upon general and rapid transfer of thought and 
information by the printed page. It is difficult for those who read to 
form even a bare conception of the mental limitation of the illiterate. 

Recent researches of the United States Bureau of Education 
denonstrate graphically that in nineteen states the nunber of adult 
white lliterates is steadily increasing. 

Five and one half million people in the United States over ten years 
of age, are illiterate, or nearly oight out of every one hundred. ‘There 


were mre illiterates in 1910 than comprise the entire population of 


48, 


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“Ze 
New York in 1914. Comparing the percentage of illiteracy for the 


years 1880 and 1910 we have the following:- 
| 1880 1910 


Native Vhite--Per cent of total population = Tiei ------««8 Pasd 
Fer cont of total Leracy ~ Deh w<----um Se7 


Foreign born--rer cent of total population «= Sel «<-----— léeh 
Per cont of total lliteracy «= 12,0 «-~-——— 1267 


legro e=Per cont of total population = 159] ----ssss 10s? 
Per cent of total illiteracy — 68.0 «-----—-=8 30.4 


fo grasp concretely the fact that absolute figures, not persentages alone, 
ean tell the story, immagine that all the illiterates in the United States, 
five and one half million strong, united and took possession of Illinois, 
evicting every person now living there, The state would then be as populous 
os it is now; the throngs in State Street, Chicago, would be as dense, but 
| picture the civilisation of that great state and city. Railroads wuld 
cease to run, for no traimen could read his orders, no dispatcher could 
write them, Street lights would be darkened, while hapless Eurepean peasants 
and negro field hands gaped idly at the meaningless characters printed on 
the Volt metere of useless powerhouses, The great daily papers of Chicago 
would go out of business; commerce would stop because no man in all the 
state could write down the record of transactions; public schools would 

be abandoned; the University of Chicago wuld be deserted. 

Another illustration would be that in a double line of march, three 
feet apart, these illiterates would extend over « distance of 1,567 miles--~ 
more then twice the distance from Washington to Jacksonville, Florida. 
Marching at the rate of 25 miles a day, it would require more than two 
months for them to pass a given point. A mighty erny is this, with 
their banners of blackness inscribed with the legends of illiteracy, 


oe  wasaiiehattnatial Let sl | 
bos nt ee eee Ouat 


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al ‘peerage SHS: itt vite noe dors Atco ie 


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ignorance, weakness, helplessness and hopelessness, toe large for safety 
in our demooratic institutions, for the highest good of society and for 
the greatest degree of material prosperity. 

To wait for a generation of illiterate men and women to 
die is « slow ond painful procese,. That there is « shorter way te 
She vedvetion aud Glininetion ef Si)iterney hae boon proved by sone 
“Burepean states and eporadic efforts in this country indicates that 
there is a better way here, to wit: to teach grow ups in schools 
organized especially for then, 


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Class. 


More than half of a2] Mexiean, Turkish ani Syrian immigrants 
ere illiterate, These mmber 92,729 or 1.5 per cont of the wholes 

There wore 145,961 Croatians and Slovenian Alliterates or 5,6 
per eont. 

Other fmuigrantecver 30 per cont illiterates are Russians, 
Roumnians, Bulgarians, Servians, bontenegrins ani Koreans. This 
group numbers 178,555 or 4 per cent. Hobrew immigrants are 24.6 
per cent illiterate and rank third in mumber 1,121, 159, or 994 por 
Cent. Slovake are 22.8 per cent illiterate and number 428,364, or 
5.5 per cents 

The Greeks 24.6 por cont illiterate are 556,563, in nusber or 
21 por cent. 

The remaining races over 20 per cent (lliterates are Armenians 
25.2 per cont illiterate, mmbering 47,224, or 4 per gent; and 
Japanese 22.3 per cent illiterate, nusbering 43,218 or 1.5 per cont; 
African 968 per cont Alliterate nusber only 11,129 or 6 per cent. 

Spanish 16.6 per cont illiterate have sont us 15,104 or 8 per cent. 

The Chinese 15.2 per cont illiterate or 10,891, Indians, 45.3 
per cent or 85,445. 

In order to appresiate the purport of illiteracy in this country, 
we mist look beyond the statistical totals to some of the details, so 
as te perceive who these illiterates are and why they are illiterate, 
and what classes of them are increasing or decreasing and whys 

Our dlliterates are divided into four classes. First, White 


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poople of American birth and parentage, Of those 1,578,884 or 
5.7 per cont were illiterate in the oeneus of 1910, Thia record 
is a grave reproach. 

The Second Glass are white people, American born of foreign parentage. 
Of these only 156,388 or 1.1 per cont are illiterate. in enly one 
state, Texas, does their percentage of Alliteracy reach 10, They are 
the least illiterate of all the four classes, . 

Class Three are white people, foreign born or immigrents, of 
these, 1650,561 or 1267 per cont are illiterate. This is a rogretably 
large proportion but it is not @ disgrace to our nation as we are mt 
responsible for it, We are responsible for their presence here but we 
canmt be held accountable for their illiteracy originally. 

The Fourth Class are liegroes, all American born and practically 
all of American parentage, of whom 2,227,751 or 3064 per cent are 
illiterate, For these we are responsible. We made them illiterate 
‘and we are keeping then so. 

The porsentage of illiterate negroes between the ages of ten and 
fourteen is 18.9 while above sixty-five years it is 74.5 per cent. 
At all ages however there ic « marked decrease at every cencus, 

The total mmbeor of white illiterates, native and foreign born is 
nearly one million nore than the tetal number of Negro Ailiterates, 
Illiteracy is mainly « white man’s problem, owing to the fact that 
the mmber of Negro illiterates is rapidly decreasing, whereas, the 
nuiber of white illiterates is increasing due to immigration of 
illiterates. 

While the pereentage of the first class, white people of 


Fie Sah 


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Ameriean parentage, is moh amlier than the third or inmigrants, 
the actual mumber of its illiterates is nearly as large. That is 
to gay, there are almost as many white natives of American parentage 
who are Llliterate as there are illiterate imigrants. Precisely 
oneefourth of all our illiterates are white men and women, born 
4m thie country of native parents, This is one of the met 
disoraditable features of the whole situations It appears the 
more oo by contrast with the second of these classes, Aneriean 
born ohildren of foreign parents, The such lower gate of illiteracy 
among the Latter fe attributed to various eauses, but chiefly 
anong then must be reckoned the superior ambition of the ismigrants 
and their keener ampresiation of the need of edusation, and of the 
opportunities for getting it, which their children here enjoy. 
Having been deprived of such opportunities thouselves in the 01d 
Country they are eagerly determined that their children shall 
enjoy them to the full Teachers testify to the fact that children 
of imaigrants are of «11, the moat faithful in attondance and 

the mot diligent in study, 

i Against the depressing statement of the gross mrsbor of 
Alithereted, §2 to be plnsed the eneouraging Suet thet the aptual 
masher and the pergentage of Alliterates are both steadily and 
even rapidly decreasing, Despite our enormus growth in total 
population and despite the enormous influx of immigrants there 
are actually fewer illiterates in the United States now than at 
any tine in the lest thirty yoors at least, while of course the 
percentage is very much lower still. In 1880; seventeen per cent 


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of our population were diliterate; in 1890 there were 15,5 por cent; 


im 1900 there were 10.7 peroent and in 1910 the percentage was 7.7. 

It is to be obeerved that this deerenge both in actual mmbers 
ani in percentage bas occurred in all of the four classes except 
the third and that even in it there has been a docreage in the pere 
contages The actual mumber of Llliterates of foreigh birth has 
increased, but not as much as the total mmber of Aliens in this countrys 

This unfortunately, eanmt, it is feared be attributed to an 
inprovenent in the quality of iumigrants., it is probably due in 
& great measure to the wre general sending to school of young imie 
grents between the ages of ten ond fourteen years, and to the higher 
death rate anong illiterate then Literate adults. 

During the last decade, however, Chinese, Japanese and Indian 
iiliterates hove deceased materiallys 

‘However, the self complacent American native born, who fancies 
that 0 deereasing percentage of Lilitersey is sufficient to inure 
safety and who would deny the growing menace of the illiterate is 
bind inddeds | 

It is true that the persentage of Alliteracy for the country as 
a whole has decreased, but that ic begause enormous effort hos been 
put forth in certain parte of the country, notably the Souths but we 
mast keep in mind the fact that we still have with us five and a half 
million illiterates. Pergontages do not tell the tory, Illiterates 
are not Arabio mmerales They are human beings who ore part of our 
social organisation, voters in cur dencoracy, citizens whose welfare 
effects our lives. These Alleequipped human beings are being added 


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ate 
by tens and hundreds of thousands to central sections of the 
country and the evil effects of their coming is intensified by 
the fact that they are being lumped in formidable groups in a few 
industrial and mining centers instead of being spread out thinly 
ever the whole country where they could be sore easily assimilated. 

TliAterates are increasing in nusbvers, not in the South, 
among the negras, the “poor white trash” and mountaineers whon 
we have been agcustomed to look upon as almwet wholly illiterate, 
but in Maseachusette, Rhode Island, Connecticut, lew York, lew 
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Worth Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, 
Wyoming, Colorado, New liexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Washinton 
and Californias the heaviest increase being in New Englend and 
the Middle Atlantic States. 

During twenty years, from 1890 to 1910 six of the Southern 
States decreased the mumber of illiterates from 2,027,951, to 
1,427,063 while in Massachusetts, Hhode island, Comecticouwt, Hew 
York, lew Jersey and Pennsylvania, the inerease was from 790,772 
to © 1,105,872, 

Hew York State, where the illiterates are so numerous that 
they would replace every living soul in Buffalo, is taking no 
organized measures, even to estimate the immensity of the problem 
of ite illiteracy, mich less efficially, to institute adequate 
extension of schooling to adults Alliterates industrially employed. 
Connesticut is in even more dire straits. 

Tn one typiosl manufecturing town in Connecticut, the population 
is more than 50 per cont foreigh born at the present time, Ton 


years ago it was 15 per cent. The town is inundated with nonsEnglish 


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7 


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| wolle 
spaking poople, highly illiterste, with foreign ideals, 
custoug, ond ideals of = low orders 
In lon Yori: State of the population over twenty one years of 
_ ge, Bix out of every hundred oan neither read nor write; in hai ne 
* dais Veraaiehsi; 45 th tebe Mhapeliieey Wasenemmnedin, ond Commustants 
6; in New Jersey, 75 \4n Pemayteenta nearly 83 in Rhode Ieland, 93 
and in Deleware, 20} /ana little is being done to releive the situation, 
Ome fifth of all our i1literates live in New York, Pennsylvania, 
en Senet Gtk: commeibhiets 
Tho farming sections of California, Washington, North Dakpta and 
Hlebraske are increasing their mumbers of illiterate immigrant laborers 
on the plea that resources must be developed at any price, Land owners 
of California and Washington demanded cheap labor to barvest their orops 
 pn-the plea that vast sereage of untilled land must be developed now, at 
~ any pries, by any means, It is, in their view, as if the idle lend were 
polluted by some disease that would infeot the country if 4t were not 
content to have it developed in email lots by American citizens as they 
migrate from the East. The result in California, for example, is that the 
Japanese have replaced the native white settlers in whole counties in the 
richest part of the State, and that California has embroiled the lation 
in the menace of a war with Jaman over the rights of citizenship, 
Rural illiteracy is not exclusively native but it is largely so. 
In 1910 there were 5,748,051 rural illiterates. This equals approx 
imately 10.1 per cent of the whole rural population; of rural 
illiterates but thirteon out of every hundred or 477,870 in al] 
were foreigh born, twenty two of every hundred were negroer and 


heal We 

sixtyefive wore native born whites. 

If we turn from the country to the clties we find a remarkable 
reversal in the preportion of native and forsigneborn population, 
The rate of illiteracy is considerably less then inrurel districte- 
61 cut of every thousand, Of the one and three quarters million 
illaterates cf the cities, sixtyesevon out of every ono huwxired are 
foreigners, eleven are native vhites and twenty-two are negroes. 

One would naturally expect, in the large cities of 100,000 or 
more population where there are better school facilities and 
improved methods of instruction that there would be a considerably 
lower rate of illiteracy than in the emaller towns, but this is not true. 

The combined population ef cities with more than 100,000 population 
in 1910 was 16,587,228 and tho Aliiteracy was 49 in every thousand, a 
reduction of but two in o thousand im the large clticss 

Size does mt necessarily represent exesllence, yet we may assume 
that wimtever our schec] syctens have to show of exgellence in 
eduestion1 system and administration ie fully, if mot exolucively 
represented among the twonty two lergest cities of the United States. 

In 1910 these citios had a combined population of 12,590,845 
of whom 683,900 were diliterste, This represents fiftyefive out of 
every thousand, That is to aay, there is a larger per eent of illiteracy 
in the largest cities than in all the cities as a whole, not withstanding 
organizations, the ratio caxtiaues to increases 

We must not only know tho enount of Allitoracy but its character 


*) 


eo ¥e soktte se 


-ll- 
as well, ond in these twenty two cities illiteracy ie foreign 


illiteracy. Out of every one hundred of these illiter:tes, ninety . 
are foreign born, four native born whites and six negroes. 

Phat there should be in our enlightened stute of California a 
number of Alliterates in gach of our 58 oounties ranging from 67 in 
Alpine to 9,639 in Loe “ngeles will prove a revelation to many and 
furnish food for thought for all, With o total of 76,984 L1literates 
in our great State there is something of o problem before us, 

The Legislature, which convenes next January, will be asked to 
ew teew ‘bikin e!Mieg thei’ Whee'y Alan Wie evils tb thaktivnke 
to live, The Dill, which already has been tentetively drafted and 
io in Line with the plone of the United States Bureau of Education, 
will mike it mandétory that every person, by the time he reaches 21 
years of age, hall have the equivalent of a fifth grade education, 

Tt shall be mandatory for every male and femaice betwoon the 
ages of 16 and 21 youre wi cant speck the Mnglish language, read 
oF Write, to attend might or day school until such tine as they 

The sooinl menace of illiteracy is of great importance to us because 
it threatens to invade that mst sacred institution the fone, We 
know that if an Glliterate alien should buy « house adjoining ours 
we should be apt to cove elewhere, and yet our children are mingling 
daily at school with the children of these illiterates, We shall 
hardly develop a easte syeten which will preclude the inter marriage 
ofr aces and it is provable that the future Amerioun will heve in 
his voins wre of the bleod of the immigrant Liliterate admitted 


te our country through the lenient immigration laws, than of the 


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bleed of all the oolileges put, together, Accordingly a great deal 


depends upon the character of those aliens. 
The mther in the home exerts more influence over the lives of | 
Others thon does anyono lee. ere are found the ideale of olean- 
liness, veauty, order, obediense, industry, honesty, truth, love 
and religion and in eo far as these are lacking as they are in the 
hones of iLiiterates as a rule, they are 4 menmce to our soolal 
order, ‘Tho alien mther is the last musber of the family to be 
reached vy “merican ideals. She has m way of learning the Unglish 
language. ‘he children soon learn to speak our language at school 
enh Desens 00 dmeriennised, in ® chort tine (het the parents lose 
control over them. They enter the i dustrial] market anc vithout 
the restraining influence cf tho hone become delinquents and 
criminals. Our juvenile courts ore over filled with these children. 
beny thougand cases of destitutes in New York City are eaused 
ennually by the desertion of the oldefashioned or rather the 
unmeriganised foreign born woman by a more progressive husband. 
Avong the Mediterranean imuigrante is found what is the inevite 
able regult of lack of schooling everywhoreedisease and mental 
“ defectivencssemith a type of immigrants win dasily my becone 
dependent or public charge at on early age, Considerably wre 
than half thepaupers in the almshouses of the United States, accerde 
ing to the census of 1910, were of foreign blood 
Demeracy ic baged on fundamental imbelligenses. Illitorates 
without the ability to read and write retard the progress of us 
able In order to lain the priviloge of intelligent living, to 


Cctosuons soa ena oi 


ia 


hal act 
enlarge our opportunities and enjoy the benefits of a representative 
government, every one must be able to profit hy the kmovledge 

and experience of others and beoome informed on all matters of common 
interest and Luportance.s 

We heve pealized the need of compulgory schooling for children 
who ave American borng we are trying to provide for children of 
immigrants; yet we igwre the illiteracy of millions of unachooled 
mon and women = children in mind though adult in yearsesapparently 
forgetting that the first requisite for government by representation 
is literagys 
Political Menace, — 

iu the congue of 1900 it was slown that there were 2,526,000 mn 
of Voting age who were unable to read or write. Suppose that the whole 
nuaber of Alliterates should wte under the control of come unsorupulous 
politician, what would became of the stability of this republic? 

The census of 1910 shows that there wore 2,275,803 illiterate mles 
of voting age of whom 617,755 were native whites, 788,631 foreign born 
whites and 612,156 negroes. 

The total maber of Aliiterste men of voting age in the country 
was gfecter thon the total musber of men of voting acs in the states of 
Kenbugky, Tenneagsee, Alabama, Wigeiscippl, Delaware and the District of 
Columbia, In some states and in many counties the Alliterates hold the 
Yalanee of power in any closely contested election. In California eight 
cut of every one hundred voters were illiterates in 1910. 

80 Little knowledge of the fundamentals of a dessoratic government 
Lo kageined of 9 tajetgnenooelving, Sar, oiMhnmating deh, be 


¥ 
Sr $ 


amid 6 


pitounie ake, 
apa Re it : 
o aubade sii dial 


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be te 


be kad 

fe inoapable of using the ballot, He becomes « tool in the hands of 
gorrupt politieians to whom he may eell his vote, either for dollars 
or a Job. 
Industrial Menace. 

Wagoeworth is determined mainly by intelligence, ond lack of 
“ g@hooling effects unfavorably, employment, advancement ani higher wage. 

If the worker bas been tm cit Mittle or nothing, when he comes into 
@ompetition with these who know more and ean do more he is cutelassed. 
Mo ninisam wage law reaches the eesential difficulties of low earning 
power. The more ilidterate the worker,the less bis ability to reslise 
the reasons end remove the causes of his own lack of empbyment or low 
WEBOs 

The illiterate alien is handicappet from the start by ignorance 
of the Mnglich language ond by consequent distrust and suspicion 
inoreased through lack of knowledge of American ways, industrial 
operations and work requirements, For these reasons it is booaning 
inperative to concern ourselves mere directly with educational 
opportunities for adult workerse 

The illiterate Lmigrent has undoubtedly reduced wages & 
particular podmts in our economic system, Of the nusber of immigrants 
who lended in New York in 1913, eighty pe eent of those 
above the school age were without ony regular trade or occupations 

Tt de oneily assumed that skilled leber finds its best market 
by @ natural process. Ina country where distexces are short, 
transportation cheap, where knowledge of wages enl opportunity te 
pretty well extended, where the people sre fairly homgencous, 
bound by the comwn tie of language and tradition md a some what 


2; 


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rigid social organization, this might be true. But these are 
preaisely not the conditions which confront the nonelinglieh 
speaking immigrmt, Thore is a chasm between the imuigrant and 
his opportunity and for the illiterate in Mnglish, it ie a wide one. 

Why do they come? Cheap labor is the answer, As soon as they 
get into work, labor agitators pay upon their legitinmate grievances 
and incite them to lawless methods of relief. On the other hand 
captains of industry seck to profit by their cheap labor and yet 
apped for protection of the low against the lawless acts of the 
laborers whom they import. 

Tlliteracy means increus ing industrial agitation ani unrest; it 
promtes race prejudice and class hatred; it precludes that mutual 
understanding and ability to coseperate which must underlie wolle 
mmaged industry and efficient demoracy. 

It is not by chance that the great trades, employing thousands of 
workers in the large cities have hed many costly strikes, nor is it 
nave: GutnciAense tnt: oplienton ef Gheitieh weigh tir’ tiie’ ity tat 
village slums where the illiterate swarm. If we are to hmdle, 
intelligently, such problems as industrial unrest and public health, 
promte civic administration and good goverment we need to know 
mre about that portion of cur people who read with diffioulty; to 
whom the printed page is meaningless. 

The policy of “let well emugh alone,” is followed at present 
times This hag resulted in a large increase in the number of persons 
who, for lack of knowledge, beowwe unemployable as fast as 
machine process displaces the hand labor to which they are trained. 
Por example, steam shovels, ditch diggers ani mociianical conveyers 


o10e 

have taken the place of the hand power, This mechanical revolution 
of one of the moat simple forme of work has lessened mterially the 
demand for © type which for genturies has supplied a living to 
Alliterates, The doenothing policy has been costly in many respects. 
The percentage of avoidable accidents is increased through the 
inability of workers to read danger signs and comprehend directions 
which would prevent accidente. 7 

Never in the history of the American people has o measure been 
. passed by Congress as often and vetoed by the President as many times 
as the dumigration bill, Three Presidente have felt so keenly that 
founders of the government and their suecessore were right in holding 
that the lack of opportunity to learn to read and write should 
mot bar an elien from freedom's shores, that they have over ridden 
the will of four Congresses. But Congress was strong enough to 
over ride the presidential veto at last and so the immigration 
doctrines of a gentury and a quarter are changed. Hereafter no cone 
above the age of sixteen, who eamot read and write my enter, 

Means of Elimination, 

Water G Ldkersey test we will turn boek oneefourth of the Armenians; 
two fifths of the Serbians, Bulgarians and Uontegrins; onesfourth of the 
Jews and Greeks; oneshalf of the South Ttallana; onesthird of the Poles and 
Rugsiens and oneefourth of the Slovaks. And yet out of over a hundred 
million population in the United States, only fiftyefour million are of 
full white native ancestry, ven the President has only one ancestor who 
was born in Amerioa, 

Many do not believe that literacy is a proper standard to apply 
to the admission of the immigrant, realising the debt this country owes 
to he illiterate and unskilled in the past. 


wrk ent ict 


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: bess wos oF ose ed iradeidmoarg ate wt 
iorutends swnte 20 die. ee vai 

Se dee aks bss sath abl 1st o fay 
whe sodeie 9c qhroty Link ene 


Cora Wilson Stewart says that the United States is the place 
where the immigrant should mect instruction instead of exelusion. 

The labor supply which dmmigrants hove brought to this nation 
constitutes an’ ingalouleble debt. Seven out of every ten of those 
who work in our iron andetee! dndustries are drewn from thie class. 
Seven out of every ten minors, three out of ten in large packing 
conderns, nineteen out of twonty in cugar refineries are foreigners of 
this types 

The executive message accompm yiig the veto of the last imie 
gration bill is a fine expression of liberalism, but it does not 
throw Light on the ever menacing problem of illiteracy. At the 
entrance of our principal port we have placed a statue of Liberty — 
Enlightening the World. The stetue carries in one hand a torch 
emi in the other a book, Thie properly interpreted means not merely 
thet damigrants shall be educated to a higher degree after they get 
here but that they shall be able te read the fundamental laws of the 
land by the Light of Liberty's torch in order to entitle them to 
enjoy the advantages which liberty has produced. 

We need imnigrante but we must teach them to read and write and 
Aneriganize then, Americanization is assimilation in the United 
States, It is that process by which imigrants are transforned to 
Amerioan eitigens, An immigrant is Amerieanised, only, when his 
mind and will have been united with the mind and will of the 
American go that the tvo act and think together. 

This great problem cannot be solved by legislators or by eduga- 
tors alone, It requires the force of an informed public sentiment. 


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bedded ode a2 onbibabhebwas ak 100 

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Tt is a matter that concerns every wman as woll as every man who 
would conserve the well being of the home and industrial prosperity. 

Philanthropy lind religion heve contributed much to uplifting and 
educating the imnigrant. The Salvation Army enters many homes, 
inaccessible to Church organisations, Their workers visit from house 
to house, showing the spirit of brotherly love; they gain the 
confidence of the foreigner especially of the mother; they teach 
home keeping ac woll es religions they teach reading so thet these 
people may be able to read the “ible, 

The YehieCeoA and YeleCeoAs aro grout agencies in eliminating 
illiterneys They have classes in a1 subjecte from the fundamentals 
to vocational training. The gymnasiums and amusement halls 
keep th young people from vice and incidentally teach sportemanship 
geod citizenship ani democracy, 

Parent~teachers elubs resch the mothers through the children 
bringing them into eleser co-operation, Lectures and demonstrations 
ave given of the care of childron ani home keeping. The sothers 
are taught to read ani sew. In some eities mesbers of Women's Clubs 
Pledge themselves to teach one illiterate to read and write, and 
to give lessone i: hygiene, cocking and motherhood. 

We find the church at work in the fight agninst illiteracy oleo, 
Tte grestost influence is in molding the morals of the innigrant. 
It brings the Americanized into association with the un~‘merieanized 
imeigrant« 

The problem of how to induee the adult immigrant to adopt 
American life is rapidly coming to be a function of trade unionism. 


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In 1906 the Union members oonsisted of over 90 per gont of 
foreign born, oneshalf of whom eould not speak English, Formerly 
these people were formed into hostile groupe which made ‘nerigune 
ization impossible. The Litiumians were the bitter enemies of the 
Poless the Magyars of the Sloveke, At first separate mationalities 
had separate Unions but now it ie mot so much a question whether 
the man ic P,lish or Itelien as whether he is « union or none 
union worker, The tendency is to use the English lenguage in the 
addresses given before the Unions, The effect of the Unions is to 
increase wages, reduce hours and improve working conditions, without 
which the dumigrant would not have the ability to adopt American 
ateand.rds, 

The Union teaches the inuigrant self-goverment. He gets his 
first leagon in governing his own activities and learning to obey 
officers whom he helps eleet. The Union gives him « senge of 
common @ausewea demoeratic spirit, It mixes mtionslities so that 
the foreign nationality of ony one of them becomes lest, 

The Union usually requires every member to be « citisen or at 
least to have declared his intention of becoming ones 

The frontier life was the greatest agency in Anerieanizing the 
foreigner in early days, but today he enters the whirlpool of 
industry end in order te survive, is compelled to learn cur language, 
@rese as wo dress, work as we work, or he is very soon overwhelmed 
by those who ore more readily assimileted. 

The importange of the public school as an énericanisation foree 
lies ohiefly in its effect upon the seoond generation, yet indireetly 


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it affects the adult immigrant hingelf in so much as his children 
eonseiously or unconsciously influence hin in the seme direction. 

The school teaches the Unglish language; it breske up hostility 
between vationalities; it teaches Ameriean history and the history — 
of out institutions; 4% teaches Auoriean putriotion ani by neans of 
mamal training, gives the imaigrant ohild an idea of industrial 
methods, All these have a great influence upon the homes In many 
oases, the child is the only avenue of information between the mother 
and Amerioun Lifes 

Publics school instruction for the illiterate immigrant needs two 
great developments; the enrichment of ite content and the extension 
of its setivitiess The content mist be mre practical and less 
literary, and it should be skillfully organized so that from the 
first, the learner will be able to use whet he gots and adapt it 
to ordinary situations as ho meets them. The course in sivice 
should eease to be abstract and formal, Too long it has been scme~ 
thing taught out ef a text tock, Throughout, the teacher should 
heave in mind that the attendoent is « wage earners, He may have little 
need to know the qualifications of a congressman but he dose neod 
& knowledge of the parks, mucus, hospital olinics and other sociel 
facilities and opportunities of the city. His touch with the state 
is through the policeman, the garbage collector, letter carrier, 
health officer and his instruction should begin with these represen- 
tatives of a thority. 

Contimumtion and part time elasses make it possible for the 
Children of the poor to help support the funily while in school. 
Contimention elass method is at present in an experiments] stage in 


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the United States. Wo are begining to feel that attendance 
should be compulsory as 4% is diffioult to secure voluntary aoe 
operation on the part of the employer. Massachusetts, Pennsylvania 
and Wis nein have passed lews making attendance at continuation 
school compulsory to the seventeenth yoor, 

Phe continuation Glass idea might be extended to meet the need 
for educating the dnmigrant mother. If we are to succeed in even 
practically cverooming that pitiful condition now existing between 
the younger and older generation, where we find, on the ne side an 
unjustifiable arrogance ond on the other, that helpless resignation 
due to sheor ignorance of language, wo must offer attractive facilities 
to the immigrant mother to learn English. The immigrant 
mother's ignorance of all things Amerioan does more to disturb the 
mwrmal healthy family life of ow imaigrant, to send the children 
into the courts and institutions than has generally beer recognized. 

Sone dumigrant mothers may be indused to attend shorted:y sohool 
sessions if they are designed especially for them. In San 
Frangises and other cities, a system of home teachers is now in force. 
Competent teachers visit in foreign homes where they teach English 
while imparting simple principles of ganitation and home economies. 

Teschers are senetines assigned to mesh all the mthors in one 
amrtment house, This makes the tenement house a sehoo] and hus 
the advantages from the mother's point of view of gociability and 
proximity. . 

lr. Henry Yord tas an interesting school in comnestion with his 


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ao Weed woarasn side 


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manufacturing esteblishnent . His sclwol provides five compulsory 
courses, A course in industry ond efficiency, a covrse in thrift 
and eoonomy, & eourse in domestic relations, one in comumity 
relation atl one in industrial relations, The Ford Dngiish school 
prowides courses in siding, reading end writing, English and in 
Avithnetie, This is not exsotly optional. A mn whe declines to 
take it is laid off for couple of weeke to think it over, If he 
refuses to attend the classes he is given an oprortunity to find 
employment elsewhere. In this school there is a professor of table 
mamners who teeches the art of eating a meal in a manner that will 
not interfere with the appetite of the other fellow, Then there is 
@ gourse in the art of making o new start in life with a degree of 
Adley DeloeDe, whieh means, "A Mistake Doubly Lived Dome” The lesson 
neamt to tesch is that while a man gannct out run his past he ean 
outegrow ite 

The Ford idea in edueation ist~ To improve a man's taste at the 
sane time ineresse his earning power. To tessh » man to uec his 
income in a constructive mamer, To put a man imto « right relation 
with his funily an! his community and inte right relation with his 
work ond his employer, To fit a foreigner to become a citizen and 
€o encourage hin to de eo. To give » min, who ie down and out, a 
Change to come back. 

The Ford idea is to increase a man's eapacity for happiness and 
at the same time to inereage his efficiensy, his earning opacity 
ond his worth to society go thet he may have agcese to the things 
he hes beon taught to enjoys 


5 main jets a wert on 


a | aaa, wi 


—_——_ 


Tho Ford School teaches the foreigner to love his adopte country. In 
the English Department there are 156 teachers ant 2200 students. 
Men come to Glasses for a short tins before and after work, two days 
a week, The lescons ere half hour perficdse, The course is given in 
sixtyeeight lescons im thirtyfour weeks. The won graduates-have 
graduating exercises and reoekve dirbmaa. The first thing a 
foreigner is tought to any fo, "I am @ good American,” 

Wight somole furnish wnderful opportunities for many peoples 
and hundreds of immigrants regcive their first schooling in these 
sehools; but they arenct, adequate alone, as they mest, the neod of 
comparatively few of those who need it soat. 

Tn New York City, for inatenos, in 1910 there wore 261,088 
Alliterntes, over fourteen years of age, The total mmbor of 
foreign born paphle who ottenddiievon one night or more wee 62,535 
and only a minor portion of Ghese were Liliterate, The night echool 
in cities ie largely Supracticable among axployees of fuctories. 
any who enroll are unable to persevere beqause of chysical faticue; 
nervous fatigue from intense application in rapid srocess work, 
brain fag, due to faulty work conditions, poor ventilation, bad 
Lighting, meine, ahsence.of Anterest ant lack of ingentives The 
Might schools entoll vory few wanen. if the styain ie too much 
for the mon, it is doubly se for the women. 

Tho Worker's Class was devieed and put into operation primarily 
to give employed adult iliiterates a chance te learn to read and 
write but is applicable to other forme of industrial education of 
@ more complex types It is adapted to factories and can be used to 


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foewie payne aed eens 7 i 


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advintage by workers in mny ind etries and employments; to mine 
‘workers; farm hands ani domestic help. 

The Prineipal of the Vorker"s Claes is that the publicesehood 
 @yebem shall furnish & toacher and aohool equipment; the exteblishnent 
ehali provide 4 roca and time during the day for instruction 
without les of wage; ond the workers shall apply thengolves 
“with ae much @iligence ac though they were ot wrt. 

In the Yorker's Class it is possible for any person of ordinary 
inbelligence who has never learned to read cr write in any 
‘Language ond sho oan speak m English te acquire a good working 
knowledge of eix hundred English words, ease in reading commty 
prave, legible penmanship and knowledge of simple /rithmetic. 
‘Phe tame needed is cixty hours cr one how a day for twelve wocka, 
five days a weeks, 

| Gxeat eave should ve taken in seleoting the right Icind of 
tenchers for these classes, ONly those who are industrially 
minded onl whose personslity ond teaching ability are euch as 
to grip the interest of undeveloped adult pupile whese minds are 
mt plastic, whose attention is easily lest and who are quickly 
‘weerked neuballys The teacher must be ® person of good judgnent, 
adaptibility, poise, nonepartisan, both soclelly and racially. 
“They aust win the confidence of the illiterete in order to 
help him, . 

in 1915 the school authorities of New Yor enployed a teacher 
te conduct & wrkorseclass in « muslin undergerment factory. There 
were forty illiterate girls | in the clasa; the group was divided 
into seotions of six or seven, each section taught daily for a 


eer | 


period of forty five minutes. In this way each girl received 
nearly individual instruction in English-reading and writing} 
arithmetic, American history, geography, personal hygiene, 
practical information about food and the evolution of the under- 
germent. The latter subject connected up with their present 
occupation. They were taught facts about business such as keeping 
accounts, budgets, reports, banking ete. 

It was obvious as the weeks passed by, that the lessons in person= 
al hygiene, physical culture, right breathing and eating were taking 
effect. The eyes of the girls grew brighter, the skin clearer, 
the minds alert and receptive and better taste was shown in their 
dress. The records of the firm showed a gain of from twenty to 
seventy per cent in working efficiency, 

Another report comes from a principal of a school in Manhatten. 
The girls from a factory were selected on the basis of illiteracy. 
Some had never been to school, others had attemptednight school 
but this proved such a task to their strength that it had to be 
abandoned. 

The firm paid them while attending the classes. The earning 
capacity of the girls increased ten to forty per cent. The course 
of study in this class included the English language, reading, 
writing, arithmetic, geography and hygiene. Under civics were 
taught the merits of a democratic government, patriotism and citizenship. 

At the close of the year graduating exercises were held and 
certificates of literacy were presented to the members of the class. 


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weG~ 

The census of 1912 brought great encouragement in regard to 
the progress made by the negroes in the South in learning to read 
ond write. At the close of the civil war about ninetyafive per 
cent of the negroes wore illiterate while at present there are 
thirty per cont and it is interesting to note that between the ages 
of ten and fourteen there ere only eighteen per cent illiterate, 
Thie shows a grest interest in education in the present generation, 
“When we consider the disadvantages under which the negro gets any 
schooling at all, the progress made seems remarkable. That there 
would have been a grevter per cent of literacy had opportunity 
been mre favorable io shown in the fact that negro illiteracy is 
less in urban New Englani and the Middle Atlantic States than the 
illiteracy of the whites in the South Atlantic and Southern states, 
At this rate of decrease of illiteracy it will take only a few 
years to bring the per cent down to the level of illiteracy of the 
country as aviwles 

The school fund which is supposed to be equally distributed 
enong the races according to the number of children is not equally 
distributed, For instame, in Elisabeth County, Virginia, 
there were 2,200 white children and 2,300 colored children of 
schoo] age. The negro ehildren had twenty teachers while the white 
children had fortyenino, The negro children have buildings 
costing $5,000, while white children have buildings costing $62,000, 
The salaries of the twonty negro teachers amounted to $4,000, while 
the salaries of the forty nine white teachers amounted to $25,000. 

The Hampton School and the Tuskegee Institute are proving that 
the nogro is capable of becaming a useful, industrious citisen 


a ee Ao 


“yah ley ones iP eae : 
hail  aktan peers edianiiees my 


. at penne ovger: tude sesh aes pint 
ae al adie’ nator WhO Tes wtibit cate Bene a 
we fan nals aN Ah 


ae a via ota ifdw a2. anne Ms 
ke ee tie whine MELE te. teed wi ie - 
e Fae iar ty Mm ® 
“saiila i descr eh 
— vat pothbr Ve edie to 2 | 


iauete sins atom 


oi * ad, 


whom 4t is worth while to educate, 

One of the mest remarkable attempts to teach grown ups in 
gakoola orgentaet gapesially for then wa begm in 1913, by L's. 
Cora Wilson Stewart, Supte of Schoole in lowan County,Kentucky, 
res Stewart decided to open night schools for adults on monlight 
nights, she outlined her plans te the teachers and onlled for voluntecrs. 
Bvery teacher in the country responded, ‘hey visited the homes and gave the 
invitation, It was expected that response would be slow but more 
than twelve hundred men and women from eighteen to eightyesix years 
of age were enrolled the firet evening. 

There were not only illiterate farmers and their illiterate 
wives but @liiterate merchants, ministers and luabernen, The 
movement spread to eight or ten ether counties and the second year 
the enrollment had increased to sixteen hundred pupils. 

The success of the men and women proves that it is not so 
diffioult for adults to learn to read and write acis generally 
supposed, A child of ordinary mind ean be taught te read and write in 
three or four weeks and an adult can do at least as well, One man, 
thirty years of age wrote a legible letter after four lessons and 
@ woman of seventy years wrote a letter softer eight lessons, 

One teacher eighteen years of age, had only four adult cupils 
in her olags, but one of these was a presBlier who learned to read 
his Bible ond a newspaper after @ few woeks of earnest study; after 
four lessons he signed his none te a paper for the first tine and 


after seven lessons, to qwnte the words of the County Superintendent, 
he wrote an enthusiastic letter with a period st the elose of each 


sentence us large as a bird's eye." 


een San, ane, kt. pa Dana 
at en, eo cae! ait iedkete yodt eataiaien lana . 
a aa oie mea ane oli eth A 


nmin newts: ot apotiyte aid om 


il 


sons Ba, ye 4 on same mapas 


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ef eit agin sta me, aerecing em He 
wird aang mune ee von mh 


here * pose 


Pr Se 


ea) 

The movement has spreed to 87 counties in Kembuckye Lira. Stewart 
says, “When we began, we plarmed to wipe out our illiteracy in three years. 
The teachers and superintendents met in arch 1913 and agreed that they 
would wipe out illiteracy before the close of that year, We then had the 
school trustees take a census cf the illiterates of their districts. We 
paid them eo much per name go that they would not be Likely tomies any one, 
We obtained not only the name and age, but the history of each illiterate, 
his religious preference, his political faith, his weaknesses, tastes, 
peoullarites, his friendships, home ties and environment. We ascertained 
the influence through which he might be reached, whether that influence 
was mother, sister, daughter or swoetheart. The teachers were given a 
copy of the regord for their districts and wore instructed to e011 and get 
acoquainted with these people before the night schools opened, 

We strove with all our might to teach every man, women and child in 
the county to read and write. te found four who head s wrong conseption, 
through their ignorance of ovr methods, They simply refused to be taught. 
There were six blind peoples five invalids and six imbecile. At the close 
of the term there were twenty-three illiterates out of 1150. Since that tine 
one of the teacherse the one who had taught the largest number to read and 
cilities te Went tn She tune 00 ob cd comen the tnd vateeed 40 Searn te 
read and write and she agreed to pay thie woman an exorbitant sum for board. 
After she became acqu,inted with her, she induced the woman to teach her to 
knit. They sat and knitted together and beeame fast ond fomiliar friends. 
When the time was ripe she proposed to this old woman that she teach her 
_ to read and write saying, “You have taught me something valuable which I 
have long wanted to know, and I om mow going to teach you to read and write,’ 


bs neers sage at nbs oth rf ‘ 
“pondeoaioen i ‘a daemncrantibaany: Ses si et * 
enna bie rast mesoneder sso : , 
- ted ey eoleiad ite 
8 haa Aeee ot + bobocraeer eae sss 


oo Eta Mt saostoe ban “tele viata it ae te ae 
stead 292 snes. a wen ea od 
oo wal sami abieaw wiht insantd. wi “oad 
soit ah Mh. mk eo hl 
wad bene si nt Ped Say: ah a 

z ait sity ne: olay 


-29— 
Before the old woman knew it, cithor through a smothered desire to be 
@ble to write to her absent sons or through fear of losing such a 
valuable boarder, she took « pencil and was soon copying the letter "Ez" 
the first letter in her name," 

The sooialising influence of these schools is shown in eomumities 
whore they are heldy 4 school trustes writes, "I have lived in this 
comunity for fiftyefive years end I never saw such interest as wo have 
mow, The school used to just drag dong and nobody seemed interested. lie 
never had a gathering at the school ami nobody thought of visiting the 
schoo les te. had. not ted. nhath nahenh. tub: Aeon weskn, cahhh So. art. 
together rights We papered the house, put in new windows, made now 
ateps, contributed the money and bought the winter's fuel. low wo have 
@ live Sunday School, a singing school, prayer meetings and preaching. 
People of «ll denominations meet and worship in unity." 

The studies pursued in these night schools are reading, writing, 
arithmetic end spelling, Brief drills are given in the essontial facts 
of language, history, geography, civics, sanitation, agriculture and 
horticulture, The reading text is the Rowan County School Messenger, 
edited by the County Superintendent, published weekly and furnished free 
of charge. 

This experience in Rowan County, Kentucky, shows that it is possible 
to bring help te illiterate mon and women under the mst difficult cir- 
cumstances for these people had bad roads to travel, high hills to climb, 
but they cane, walking miles, carrying babies in their arnss 

‘The teachers are in the main, mtives of Rowan County, deeply in 
syapethy with the people ad their needs, consecrated to the causes of 
education, and determined te wipe out 41literacy. 


bie ; 
We THE MOVEMENT WAS ST/RTED IN ALABAMA, 

The annual meeting of the Southern Educational Association held 
in Bouston, Texas, in 1911 gave « delegation of Alabama Educators the 
opportunity of hearing Mrs, Gora Wilson Stewart tell of the remarkable work 
being done in the mountains of Kentucky, for removing illiteracy, Her 
story appealed to the Alabama representatives, who unanimously agreed to 
extend tc her an invitation to visit the State and address the Alabama 
Educational Association, ire, Tilson accepted the invitation and her 
address was the most inspiring ever delivered before the Assoviation, 
During the Spring tf 1914 the cooperation of the County Superintendents 
was enlisted in a movenent te secure a complete list of Alliterste white 
children between the ages of eight and twenty years. ‘The result of this 
investigation brought the general publie to a full realisation of the 
fact thet the mill of neglect was busy grinding out a new erop of 
illiterates. It did much to stimilate the public conscience to a full 
realisation of the necessity of a compuleory attendance law which was 
enacted by the Alabama Legislature the next year. 

The executive committee of the Alabam Educational Association 
adopted as a eampaign Slogan, “Illiteracy in AlebamaeLet"s remove it.” 
The State Legislature passed a bill which was signed by Governor Henderson 
authorizing the oeation of the commission for the rewyal of adult 
illiteracy in Alabama, The act creating the Alabama Tiliteracy Comission 
provides: 

That there should be ereated a comission to be known as, "The 
Alabama Illiteracy Commission, which shall be composed of five persons 
inoluding the State Superintendent of Edweation, It shall be the duty 
of thie commission and it shall have the power to make researches, collect 


ted hata ototnocd bee wily: Noone emce* ae 4 
a ee st “ve 
atl beovanioas — 


‘ais done? net ve oe 
ee te wine toate “Pine Ww ot ‘stttwg re 
ckstte: om a ty 
| eee te senihcte 3 nin 
aaa: ilar i cer oe 
sown torn ye Sots eum dion: Hla’ bon vey 
Mabw a Laveen wey 28 heneewee “ < e ; 
sokrabertt youn ee castrate Lene ~ - ib 3 
a ane ‘el ari A to Gaselaien’ 


ecient ee RS io il Be 
pend sed ‘wal sta ‘ty “fa 


” 


| saath cess ti oathid 106% 


———_— 


data, and procure the services of any and all comumities of the State 
looking to the obtaining of a wore detailed knowledge of the true 
condition of the State in regard to ite adult Ailiteraey and report 
regularl,, the results of its labors to the Governor and to perform any 
other act which in dtc discretion will coutribute to the elimination of 
the State’s adult Glliteracy, by means of the education and enlightenment 
of illiterate persons in tho State of Alaboma; and the commiecion shall 
expend any funds which it may regeive in sccordance with sueh regulations 
as it my fron time to time adopt. the monbers of the comiseion shall 
receive no compensation for their services nor expenses of any kind out 
of the Stete Treasury, but they ehall be reimbursed out of any funds which 
may come inte the hamde of the commission from other sources for the use 
of the commiesion for their cetual treveling and other necessary expenses 
ineurred in the performance of their duties. 

The Seoretary-freagurer was authorized to select in each county, 
at least five oltizens, to serve as a County subecommiosions te solicit 
domitions for the furtherance of the movement; and to appoint « field 
agent to travel cover the State in the interest of the cause, 

The comission nened the first lind ay in June as "Illiteracy Pay", 
end requested the Governor to proclaim it as such and to appeal to the 
citizons of Alabema to observe it. 

The Governor of Alshana issued the followlng Proclamation: 

"I, Cherles Henderson, Governor of Alabama in response to the wide 
epread gerntiment among our people, expressed by the Legislature of “labama, 
the Alabama Illiteracy Commission ond the Alabama Educatiom] Association 
do hereby set apartand designate the first Monday in June, 1915, to be 
observed throughout the State as Illiteracy Day, and I sppoiint and fix 


Ha dadwphiesao a sm gaint ow 2 we 


nt ut 


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is spor resem vase & Bab pleas aan | 


<= 


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es LSet: yatkwo ede nin : 
ciel ab mannoNn wei saint 


_————— 


this as the time when every illiterate man, wman ald youth in the 
Commonwealth shall consecrate hinwelf to the service of his State and 
comunity as the date chen the people shall mect, coni'er and organize 
@lubs for the banishment of Llliterasy in the several communities, 

I all upon the teachers in every oaimunity, the school improvement 
associations, the Chamber of Commoree, the Farmer's wilons, the press of 
the State, the minleter, lawyers, physioiais, farmers, business men, ani 
all others to ley agide matters of private concern ani to heartily 
comperate in working out plans for the renowal of illiteracy. 

Mitt @ Lefty faith end resolution that Alebam, under the favorable 
guidange of Almighty God, chall wipe away the black stain, I call on 
every literete man, woman ani child of every station, commmity or eredd 
to conseorate hingelf to this stupendous, though surmountable task." 

Before attacking the problem it was deemed wise to determine it's 
mgnitudes It was found in the United States Consus report of 1910 that 
there were 641,163 persons in Alabama from the ages of ten to twonty 
inclusive, 15 per cent of whom, or 96,406 are illiterate, while from the 
ages of 21 ami over, there were 1,015j070 persons, 26 per cent of whom or 
262,273 can neither read nor write, Among the whites population there 
wore 31,661 males of voting age and 35,765 mature women who wore illiterate. 
Anong tho negroes, there wore 92,744 miles over 21 years of age and 
108,102 femmles, Seventyefour per cent of the adult Liliteracy in the 
State is ameng the negroes population, only 8,87 of our native Uhite 
4lliterates are city dwellers, while 60,894 of them reside in the country. 
The town rate is 2.6 per cont ond the country rate is 11.5 per cont. The 
lowest rate of Alliteracy is in Nontgomery County. 

The real work of removing illiteracy was hardly begun before the 


& visible borer ata as om ‘ 
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ee 
he wes pena poneorat, olathe § et 
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| " as ee eae OD ern stoi a 
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me ning? Sic cuad ‘ssaeaneaaiel pian seen 4 . 


| lp 008 ne seis: eet . al 
2° eee ee and at say Ls, at 7 
| ee Le 

% te ial 20 deeb. wep = (re PRIA ing 
eR “teat ow wate Aen ake ana nn | 


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zi maa a eam “om 


commission was confronted with the necessity of securing additional 
funds with which to finance the movement. Button gampaigne were 
inaugurated in many eities of the State. Tho Slogan "Illitersey in 
Alabama » Let's remove it.] ani the number 362,779 were printed upon 
the buttons Ken end waren of intelligonee above the evorage, being 
brought face to face with the astounding figures printed on the button, 
openly confessed they were ignorant of eduostional eonditions in the 
state, A desire for informetion wae gtinalated, resulting in a general 
awakening of the public consolense as to Alabama's ditty in speedily 
venedying existing eonditionse 

The subject of Liliteracy was uspermost in the minds of the people; 
it easupled a prominent plage on olub programs and was discussed with 
tolling effect fron the=pulbkt. As the Mght was thrown upon the subjest, 
commereiol orgeniamtions began to realise Ste economic significance and 
ontored without reservation into the spirit of the publicity sovencnt. 

The more striking effect of the campaigns wos their general influence © 
in preparing the minds of the people for a frank consideration of the 
need for better school facilities, a need that could be met only by 
giving them the right of loon) taxation, The gampaign truly paved the 
way for the great looal tax vietory of Tovenbor 7th, 1916. 

AB & result of the Llistersey eanpaign adult schools have been 
condugted in more than two thirds of the eountios of Alabam and some 
work has in 911 probability been done in every county. 

Aooording te the biennial gensus report of 1914 there were 280,598 
white children between the ages of ten and twenty in Alabama, 26,259 of 
ehildron of school age of which 25,186 were illiterate. Tlliteraey among 


As Tr 


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4 Ge ith AL * by ; ng in 4 
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ores 
white children had been reduced & per cent. The revort of the 

4lliteracy Qommi.ssion for 1916 showed that 2,656 adultes were taught 

te read end writes, The general educations] propogands which wes 

earricd into the resotest sections of every county acquainting the 

piblie with the Status of literacy in the State was eo offestive in 
agvonplishing the object for which At was intended that the minds of 

the people ware awakened to the importance of better school conditions 

in generale The onforceanent of the compulsory attendance law, which 
boqme effeotive October ist, 1OL7, will prove & lese difficult task 
beoouse of the campaigns Tho onrollment of children of school age in 
the State for the year 1915816 shows a deoided increase over the 
enreliment one year ages The statisties show an inoreaso of 31,991 pupile. 

_ Bducational workers among tho negroes, observing the suseess of the 
white teachers in gelling illiteracy buttons, Pequested that they be 
permitted to participate in raising funds. The ooumiseion had a button 
made boaring the likeness of Booker T. Washington, the great leader of 
hie race. 

A tremendous impetus hae been given to the campaign to wipe the 
stain of illiteracy in Alebems froa emong the colored people, through 
tho influence of the thirty-five teachets institutes conducted during the 
year, the annual meeting of the Alabena State Teqehers Associat ion, the 
sumer gchools for teachers, and the yearl¥ gension of tho Tennessee 
Valley Teachers Assceiations 

4% ome of the general aseenbly periods of the Tuskegee Institutes 
resent sumer acheol for teachers, the entire time was devoted to a dise 
guesion ef the illitersey work in the stete and in showing the teachers 
mw to organize the worke 


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che 

fn 1910 Virginia had 05,825 illiterates, 2,368 of whom were foreign 
and still more lementable, 61,105 of the 65,825 were mative born whites. 
Out of the 2,851,680 negroes iliiterates, Virginia furnished 148,900. 
Wonders have been accomplished by both races in Virginia. During the 
desads between 3900 ami 1910 the segrees in Virginda reduced their 
filiteracy 35 per cont bub the wiltes brought about @ reduction of only 
29 por cont. A sertain State Bducator cnge gaid, “The negro situation 
Will tuke gare of itself Lf wo koop the uative white statistios oonstantly 
before our eyes.” 

The native illiteracy of North Carolina sifll exeseds that of 
Virginia, but between 1900 and 1910 Nerth Careline reduced Liliteracy 

36 per Gent. Seoretery of the State Board of Bducstion mires tre follewing 
appeal t the people of Virginia; 

"Yo man with e gpark of humanity in hie soul ean fail to realize that 
the 01d Domaion should rid herself of this baneful shadew that tac fallen 
athwart our proud commonwealth, m mn with a proper sense cf oltizenship 
gan fail to widerstand that he must do his part toward uprooting the evil; 
wo man with the smallest ide: of propertions can fail to see the 
importance of carrying education almost to the threshold of every 
Virginia home.” | . 

The average illiterstes for cities in the United States heaving 
100,000 population is 4 out of every 1000 while the average in Virginia 
ie 80 white out of evory 1000, In proportion te ite population however, 
Richmond has six times less illiterasy than tho rest of the States, 

Revently great effort has boon mde to abolish illiteracy by 
neans of the night édhools, At present there ore in the night schools 
of Richmond, 5,648 persons of whom © vast majority are beyond school ages 


aa ‘pie: tro esau can 
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RA a Fost aged sa): tanga teu “ 


The Richmond School Board thinks a person who has not completed the fifth 
reader grade is mt to be classed far above illiteracy. 

There were in Wisconsin 67769 Liliterates over ten years of age 
according to the eonsus of 1910 and 120,665 non English speaking residents. 
Ien't this appalling? It ie especially so since it has been proved that 
any person of ordinary intelligence who has never learned to read or 
write in any language and who ean speak no English ean acquire a good 
working lowwledge of six hundred Pnglish words, ean with ease read 
common prose, write legibly and have a knowledge of simple aritimetioc. 
The time required is sixty hours or one hour « day for twelve weeks, five 


days a week. 
The percentage of illiteracy for Wisconsin is 5.2. This is lower than 
the percentage for the Country at large which is 767. It is interesting 


to compare the pereentage of illiteracy with neighboring states, Illinois 
hae 168,274 or Se7 per cent Alliterates. Michigan has 74,800 or 5.5 
per cent. Ohio has 124,774 Alliterates or 5.2 per cont. Minnesota has 
49,556 illiterates or 5 per cent. Towa has 29,889 illiterates or 17 
per gent, Town has the lowest percentage in the United States, Tach of 
these states reduced its illiteracy greatly in the twenty yeare preeeding 
the last federal census, Wise nsin led in this respect, lmving deereased 
illiteracy 68 per cent. Wisconsin may be great proud of its record for 
it wasexeelled by only two other seotions of the country, the District 
of Columbia, where the reduction was 62% and Kansas where it was 60%. 
This reduction of 68 per eont admirable as it is, affected largely 
the group of people coming under school age and was brought about by 
better compulsory attendance laws ani a more strict enforcement of them. 


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Undoubtedly Maseachusetts, which shows a much smaller percentage of 
reduction (16%) for this same period, really corrected illiteracy of 
those beyond the compulsory school age more than did Wisconsin, for 
Massachusetts has had a lew upon her statute booke for nearly thirty years, 
requiring illiterate minors over fourteen years of age to attend school, 
if they lived for a year in a city or tow maintaining avevening school, 
To mect this requirenent Massachusetts now defines the standard of | 
Lateraey te:moen ability to vend End wits on he poquives for eonplétion 
of the fourth grade. This is far above the ordinary interpretation of 
literacy which usually azounts to ability to write one's own name and 
ordinary simple words. 

Beside the 57,769 Alliterates in Wisconsin there are the 120,665 
non speaking iterates who should acquire a reading and speaking knowledge 
of English beeause federal regulations demand ability to read and speak 
English before citizenship may be ecnferred. 

We are helped to a keener appreciation of the interest that « 
commumity should take in teaching English to its foreign spesking residents 
by reference to « situation which cecurred in Detroit in the winter of 
1914 « 15. ‘Twentyethree thousand unesployed workmen applied to the Board 
of Commerce for work, fifteen thousand could not speak English, ‘ork 
ould not be found for the non English speaking people, and they and their 
families were oublic charges during the winter, This led Detroit business 
men to conelude that the teaching of English and the assimiletion of the 
imaigrant is a civic necessity rather than welfare work, Teachers 
especially should be interested in teaching English to foreign born 
femilies for there is a direct relation between their lack of knowledge 


of English and the progress of their children in school, The greatest 
number of oases of retardation oecurs among children coming from homes 


a 


noabieaitpldtiend gta willie: ania 
9 salen ete a shea ab bereusoe ’ 


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ae ye ete baakne owt Boe Ra eye Se: 
“ated abet sg rt mil | 


where mo English is spoken. 

Wisconsin is establishing extension schools for those whose needs 
are not met by day schoole. Its laws provide for the establishment 
of continuation schools which must reach boya and girls between the 
ages of fourteen and seventoen who have left achool to engage in 
ecoupaticons other than agriculture or domestic service. These schools 
may and do, reach people beyond the seventeen year age limit. 

Wwery community of over 5,000 inhabitants must and every one of 
less than 5,000 may heve an industrial education board, a part of whose 
duties shall be the fostering, establishing end maintaining of 
continuation schools, holding day and evening sessions, Such schools 
must be established on petition of twenty-five persons qualified to attend 
them, Thirty-one Wisconsin cities have eontinuation schools and night 
sessions are eonducted in connections These cities in a mumber cf cases 
mike special effort to onrell adults who are in need of schooling, 

Thus we see that a nation wide mvenent has been inaugurated for 
the purpose of Americanizing cur alien population as well a: extending 
educational advantages to those who have been denied them, 

The vitality of this question was cut strongly to the nation during 
the past year in a form thet was not altogether agreeable. For the draft 
Yevealed the astonishing fact that there were 200,000 out of 2,000,000 
men, whe could not read their orders or understand then when delivered, 
or read letters sent then from home. 

If mon eannot be converted readily inte soldiers but must be held 
in camps while they receive a primary education, surely no one can hold 
thet this is a matter deserving of merely State attentions 
This movement is fostered by the Poderal Bureav of Immigration, 


"a smeniedidegen ade walt: 
a Ra OR ti: alm ean ORS 
ae vd mance Sia 


deitytae feos som i at vt ss 
“ples tes et | 


atti 
T& is true that the wrk was undertaken prior to the Federal Governments 
interest but Govermment aid has given it fresh impetus. 

The history of this Federal setivity is that the naturalization 
courte were finding it necessary to reject or to continue the cases of 
nearly 86 per cent of those who eaue up for eitisenship, on account of 
goners}, ignorance of the applicants, or begause cf their lack of knowledge 
of our grvornnent. ws 

Tho Naturalization Bureau reasoned that sinee the Government 
provides thet mo court admit an alien to citizenship until it is satisfied 
thet he is attached to the principles of the constitution, it is the duty 
of the government to see that provision is made to instruet aliens in 
these principles in order that the spirit of the provision may become 
offestive. 

Tho eosoperation that the Dureau of Naturalization is seeking to 
eatablish with the public schools in the matter of giving educational 
advantages to applicants for oitisenship, will of itself react upon those 
of longer residence here, who are indifferent to privilege and duties 
of oltisenshipe 

The Bureau attempts to establish this comoperation by furnishing 
public school authorities with mnthly Mets of applicants for citizenship 
in all commities where there is an alien population large enough to 
justify the establishment ef schools for them, These lists include alse 
tho names of the wives of the petitioners, for the Government now 
recognises wives as prospestive citizens and is desirous of instructing 
and Americanising them as well as their husbands. 

Letters are gent by the Bureau to applicants and their wives, telling 
then of the advantages that would accrue from their attendance at school, 


a 


senate Leselel: atte abelian 
Pi i eat iw seth inal 
modtaad Lorie att acl oR sghin 
a Qo Reade att ewntinu ob 40 doukons | 
" . 20 dean ma qplviaaoaddae sei peepee 
a aha tess 9. tent niet? ko. oxconed te - stent 
a lads sty alain ‘shies eileen geile aoa 


- te ha tt att ner 


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eG 
Tt is expected that the loeal school, by various means, will follow 
up these letters and bring to the attention of the resiplents, the 
opportunities that the achools offer then. 

In the past, employers of labor have, sometines, opposed efforts 
to educate the illiterate, anticipating as one oubeone, that higher 
wages would be demanded, Today the met enlightened axployers are 
favoring better sehooling and are even maicing provision to have 
eduest ional opportunities offered on the premises where they works 
immigrants arriving in this country wre over nineteen years of age, 
and thus beyond the influence of the pubjie day school, we reuiize 
that it is imperative for us to establish schools in which they my 
be taught English ani citizenship so that thoy may be properly amalgaumted. 
The last statietics showed that only leS per cent of the foreign born 
whites, over twontyeone years of age attend school. 

Under the law, naturalization papers are filed with the clorks of 
courts and a duplicate of all naturaligation papers must be sent to ehe 
bureau of naturaligation, and it ie in this way that the bureau obtains 
the names, occupations ani addresses of a11 aldens applying for citizenship. 
When these pepers reach the Bureau of Haturalisation, the mane of the deslarant 
is recorded on a white pact board card, which card comfaing full deta as 
to name, residence, ccoupation, nationality and age of the alien and 
this oard is arrenged to show the educational rating of the declarant, 
and on the beck of the card provision is made for keeping a rogord of 
his attendance ot the school for two years. A buff ecard, containing the 
sane data, is wade out for the alien who a plies for citizenship, (second 
papers) and a green card is mide out for the wife of each alien, a biue 


a nv es 
(Nelle Wedd aks nd wf vertok seabed ae 1th wwkoaneipat 
p RRR ee rena pecans RI os in ad x 
hore oom To Peww vnwy Tad viphee 0d owt ao ebowow Maat lt be 
a, x i eo te se eee ee y 
ne tenet en in ion a ia 
i ee ee er 
He Dated wears ed dais poe ated ae ek oe Bee | 
 wpbioambtte WO gabas wate 10 v7 conn 


wet hey “E10 sealed Sic Hs Lice Syme theme 
a en 
we eer a 
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—oLe 
card is prepared containing the same data for use where the alien has 
removed from a particular sehool district tc another and the teacher is 
to return that to the bureau, giving the changed address of the alien so 
thet his name may be gent to the Superintendent of the school at that 
place where ho has remveds — 

These cards are promptly forwarded to the “uperintendent of the 
eoheol wio ic expected to turn them over to the teacher of the night 
school, and when these eards are sont to the Superintendent, « letter is 
sent to the alien informing hin that his name has been sent to the 
Superintendent and suggesting to hin the advantage he will receive by 
abtending the night schools In this way you will note thet the names of 
the aliens, for instance, who declare their intentions w becons citizens 
and who file petitions for full citizenship are promptly forwarded tw the 
Superintendent of the school aud it remine for the school authorities to 
get in touch with these people and eause them to attend tho night selocls. 

These cards are prepared go thot ample data way be entered thereon, 
Yelative to the educational status of the various aliens and the result 
of their attendange at school, and at the end of the first school yoar 
they are forwarded to the Burem of Haturd igation, thet this data may 
be elassified and the results of the sehool year noted, They are then 
returned to the Superintendent for uso in the recording of this date for 
the second your ond Likewise returned to the Bureau of classification, 
the purpose of this being to obtain information 4n a prestieal way for 
submission to Congress to show the reqults of the work and to enuse 
Congress to afford financial assistance in this greet work. 

This briefly is the plan adopted by the Sureau of Naburaligetion 
and thus far over 800 night schools have been started in the United States 


ern mas aras = 24 
£ 


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| on ta ia od iia 


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ae 
in as many as 44 states, and the Bureau of ilaturalization through its 
field officers ie urging the various cities and centers of population 
where there are sufficient nusbers of aliens to establish night schools 
for the benefit of alien adults. 

The Buresu of Naturalization does act presume to tell the teacher, 
how he shail teach these aliens, but it stands ready at all times to 
offer guggestions and render any asaistance it can when called upons 
It has printed an outline course in citizenship and expect to continue 
issuing Iiterature on this important subject, and will through ite field 
officers respond to the call of teachers to render assistance in 
eeuging the attendance of alions and appearing before the schools,to 
explain naturalization lews and regulations. 

‘Phe judges will, when faciltios for gaining this knowledge is at 
hand vequine the applicant to attend the school and thus become proficient. 
But Af these facilities are not given the alien, the court will usually 
admit him to citizenship even though he does not know whet the constitution 
of the United States is, what it means to him ag a egitisen, or how the 
g-Verment, of which he is o part, is conducted, 

Teachers, I believe ean d wore than any other body of citizens to 
socomplish the edueating end ‘merieenizing of the alien end thea we shell 
Gouge them ani ow mative born citizens to think of Amerlea only, and not 
merely of Aneviea, first; and 1f we suceved in doing that we shall see the 
practical elimination of the hyphen in all things American and thus stop 
the grouping of American citizens as we have it today and bring about 
absolute wiification and consolidation of all of our citizens unto one 
compact and glorious Americanisn. 


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poarminnet he Learn nah elas Sh ela AR 


‘ein fie auld Ge me be ante oie | 
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(eld 90 Ahimig eee doctd yr dod ot Aopsiomn’ menatine 
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ia 


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4 hy r re Spee Tat 
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The war has revealed to us the biting truth that we are not a 
united nation, We face the fact that America ie not first in the hearts 
of every resident, that not every man works for “merieay and that mt 
every man trusts her present or believes in her futuro, This is etill 
the land of promise for the "bird of passage who exploits us, ani whom 
we pluck in return,” 

Security ani prosperity have blinded us to the foot that we de not 
all speek the same language nor follow the game Plage In our quest for 
nationalism we stand aghast at the task before us. It is mo saali 
aesinilative task to preserve the best in the traditions, beliefs, and 
standards of these people for the strengthening of America and te give 
them enough of America's ideals to make them strong citizens of a deweratic 
country. 

the war is giving us a breathing spell to find out and t define a 
policy which will insure Ameriganism, livery goverment, bu} our own,has 
@ mational purpose which it is carrying out in Ameriea with ite own subjects 
naturalized or alien, through its representatives and agents, ite 
publications, institutions, and business interests. Amerie olene in its 
own territory has a negetive »reeedure and is without o policy. We are 
eonverned chiefly with these we oan keep out or send backs. Once an alfen 
is admitted, there is no system of protection, distribution and assimilation; 
m specific induoenert to citisenshiph M encouragenent to asquire o 
howe stake in America, Sectional and specific interests compete for what 
the hamigrant has to offer; the parent governuent keeps an eye on the new 
arrival and helps him in distress. ihe Poderai govermnt alone remains 
silent and indifferent. It ics true we have the begiming of such « systen 
in several departments. it is encouraging that the Bureau of iaturuligzation 


PAI ok a by i yt PRM AON MEE a OS ett ap Ay 


ae Co core at ahi esl | 
deer Qe sidan eee sa 
rf deme sie er wes 
ey ins asieeossaaiia oR fiat 
20 sain, a gash Orme add wodted don. — 
A tok A ae aed ak to a 
tan imines eoeutaal soracandacbea' 


rset 
as te be Peahy SN as Ys % Bhat AY eta Pod ath ier te tm ‘i 


oh eae debhcualignahn, pancanandiel obey omcrriamy Laces) 
wae asi inte ‘novesanmmuontet piri na ae fi 


At te erm. steers so 
BL ASS say nme a MR 
BEA DRE nt alb, RLU jdbiniicoaats 


ile 

has changed ite attitude and is now belng of somaservice to dilens who 
have applied for citiszenshipe There is in the Lureau of eduestion a 
Division of Iamigrauta education which Zor the past three years has been 
garrying on important edueaticnal work amng immigrants. The educational 
work of these bureaus doves not receive adequate support or authority and 
has met so far boon considered ag an essential part of veal preparedness. 
The vision ond fuith and effort of these officials is not part of any 
strong defined policy; it is mi woordinated with the government's 
larger activities and Gould be wiped out tomorrow. by © single order. 

This country is alive to the inadequacy of ite army and navy but 
as yet seens to have the srallest oonseption of the disci pline, self 
eaerifice, aud spirit of services that each one of us must sequire and 
of the need of organization along national lines hot Jmeriean 
institutions will require te be prepared to even maintain peage, After 
many months of war our slogan is "Safety first” end “wade in Anerica" 
while towards mtional citizenship training, toward educational unification, 
and industrial preparedness, the mation has made Little progrosg, 

tu the growing demand for a sore united Aueries it dc opparant 
thet jucriea needs @ national spirat which @hall coxbine reverence and 
servico; & national consesengeness which eball be wiliing to gtte,as weil 
&s to rowelve, benefits and to pul sonething unte polktden. me well ae! Gnine 
something cule Let no ome suppose that anything short of « national 
policy, purpose and conselousguess in which each one of us dees his full 
share, will mect the evitical aped of the hours Our capacity for mtionalism 
is in exact proportion to the measures we take for ite achievement, 

| The wer has taught ws thet it eannot be left to the eomplacency of 
the mative Anorlean or te the voluntary efforte of the immigrant. 


yee 


wshtiaihanth po lh 0 on 
Kecrabtagli wafi sop dramiak 9M did ovens 
Scum binaelihuan 26 deoegage ei ial 
eivomipnees; das So ag Laksiogeg 58 a8 D 


nai ieANL: pes nd, wabtOR the 
es 38 soi Da 8 6 nee 
arate sires ea 


combo ee nt 
oeshcuinusatmnaiamaaanise : 


A general melting pot, tended by mw one in particuler des at 
necessarily brew a nations This is even wre truce wher we Lind oo 
many other selfeinterested mations and poopie stirring the pt. whe 
was has taught us thet toe demand for cheap lavor cant cuntinue to 
be the chief determining faster in the aduiesion of immigrants beeause 
of Amorica's new interest in aliens as prospective citizens, ve not 
only heave « progent, nabion-giged job of assimilation, but we need to 
prepaye ourgeives for the probiems that will accompany negotiations 
for peace, We shali have at least thvee questions of great and far 
Touching importance, immigration, ewigratioa and citizenship wtanderds 

af our imaigration bill represents the sum total of the wisdem we 
can gewoon on immigration, we shall fail miserably to improve this 
opportunity by substituting s constructive policy, for our preva liiag 
negative poldeys Such arbitrary tests as the literacy elause, based 
en race and class theories aad antagonisms, bears no real or lasting — 
relation to the fundamental nationwl aveds of the country, 

Admission of aliens to this oountr, should be based upon their 
apoity for. snerioanisations very lunigrant stoulc deolere upor his 
Grrivul here, his intention tc remain and beeone « citisgens He should 
be required to bewue literate in the Maglish language, (the minimum 
standard to be daginiveljaet) wiitin five yours, Deportation should be 
thw. pouty for uilure to de 806 

& policy of nwtional edugntion ia required for  etatemanlike cone 
sideration of neticnalian, Loonl comumities ganmit eorry the burden of 
educating lerge numbers of incoming regideuts oonceruing whom they have 
mt been forewayned, The relation of edueation to eougons) labor Ls 
important. The grout forces in Ancriganisation ave the bons, the setol, 


oe om fie ort bajo bok | 

; es a i ag ‘posyaidaes Lue bai! wire td veh 
"es "je ieee “a senksominy mows done ga wot ts 

td emotes fins bebe Cael 


* aap wih vadoen #8 ‘aiid ewe , ‘att fr 
ae eure te: aaa ane awa * a 


Pa, 


an ner eee dae ws naa 


. 
- pes iL ds 


Abe 


and the avighborimed. These eannot influence the itinerant resident, 
in one town today and gone tomrrow,. We must contrive thet educational 
and cultural forces shall follow the man from plage to place if we are to 
ughieve natiomlien through assinilations 

Certain things are essential to Amerieaniem, One of these is a 
eomsn, Janagngte Mot until the ascessity fer noiions1 defense was 
tiwust upon us heave we considered seriouly requiring that «11 Amerlean 
residents learn Ggiish, It is true we said in 1906 that a1) moturciised 
citisens musi lave knowledge of the Inglish language but we neglected to 
define what we weant, so the knowledge my consist of ac many wrds as 
each several tundred judges my decide is « fair teat. Bot umiil the 
business man found tit 2 knowledge of English reduced accidents aid he 
indoree aight sohoolse 

Aw inuigrant lends in snericng and gete whetever work ho gan, He 
does mi kaow and mo govermnontel agentiekes the trouble to tell hin, 
wheat particular restrictions there are on any given ocoupations Mo one 
explains to him for waich Job he has te heve = ligense or which cecupations 
are open only to citisens. He dows not kmow our ordinances about the 
Gisposal of garbage or ashes. He may come from a region where there are 
to f¥ee Schools, ond ha dee not kuow thet the lew in this country 
obliges him to send his children te soheol, Unwilttingly with the best 
imtentions im the world, he my offend in alapstevery relation of his life. 

ignorant of his right, act waderstanding what his offense is, he is 
tried end souvicted end leaves the oourt wondering what he hos done that 
justifies 4¢ in branding hin o6 a law broker, Wis respect for American 
jew and for Amorigan juptice dees not outlive mony experiences of this 
kind, and tims amther door to Auorfeanigation 4s ¢loseds 


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The native Amerigan img a prejudice against furnishing books ia 
foreign ianguxge and often proceeds on the theory timt although he does 
mothing to furnich facilities for leurning Unglish, it ie better that 
the dmaigrant should read nothing while he waite. i is idle to fear 
thet the foreign ienguage book is an cbetagle to Ameriounisation, Anything 
tiat increases the aliens inteliigence, and especially hiv information 
about Amerios is an eid, not o hindrance. Outside of the lerge cities few 
libraries eve any collection of foreign books, . 

the Literacy test is a plain evasion of the native Amerioun’s 
responsibility and a lasy way of thinking out the problem, We love never 
set ourselves seriously to the tusk of nei iowwlicing 4ueriga. When we do 
Wo Sheil have ag strong « nation us we luve bridges and railroads and banks. 

it is possible that wo imve been admitting too many poopie of too wide 
@ Variety for the mative Ameriean to Amerieunize. It is certainly trae 
thet we should hesitate to adalt many others wotil we have denonstrated 
ow ability te provide an agsinilation policy for the nation, We gannot 
forever depend upon the mivslonary for the Ameriganivation of aliens. 

If we close our doors to preverve Amrigunigation, will it not be 
a wonfession of our utter fa lure to deal in & etuteomnlike way with 
the international or national situation whiek eenfrente us? 

Se Should euend our wbureiigation laws ond Standsedine eduéatiounl 
qualifications for citisenships, We should add to the present cowt 
oxaniaution, a requirement that the appligent for citizenship present, 
with ais petition, a certificnie showing creditable work and regular 
attendangée upon some publie eehoo] for at least one term where he reeeived 
instruction in Mglish and civies of « certain standard, 


HR eRRONE 


‘Sebitiieeuk ‘pie oie Ets ins pi al 
soni a te Pah AR HTP 


> +) 


ae cle i een ee 


he 

Federal aid should be granted to these adult s@hools where standards 
are maintained, The Federal Government should ascume jurisdicticn of the 
whole subject of Sreaigrant education on the ground thet the admisefion of 
eliiens to the United States is & Pederal matter and therefore their 
qualifiontion for citisenship is a concern of the Federal Goverment. 

we should anend the educational laws to necessitate compulgory | 
attendance of nomlEnglish speaking and illiterate persons between the 
ages of fourteen ond twentyeone fixing the standard of literacy training 
required as equivalent to the completion of the Pifth Grade ir public schools 

Tabor lews should prohibit the eaployment of mimore unless wee'ly 
rerorte of regular sehool attendance are presented to employerse The 
Federal Government ghould require a11 cities to maintain evening classes 
end extent facilities for edueating foreigners such aseamp schools, 
industrial and yooational schools, continuation sehools, part time schools, 
workers glasces, ani prévide freetext books. 

Tn large cities this wrk of educating the illiterate should be 
under a supervisor aprointed by the Superintendent of Education with power 
to standardize rethods, subject matter, classes, ete, The Government 
should provide teachers oourses in various modern languages so that teachers 
' may qualify sufficiently to be o medium of commmication with noneInglish 
speaking studente in these elessea, These classes should be advertised 
in foreign newepapere, by placards, by personal invitation, by circulars 
where ever foreigners are @iployed, By dealing effectively with this 
problem of adult Llliteracy we contribute materially toward an intelligent 
comprehension and treatment of problems of greatest importance to industry 
and society such as the reduction of disease, the prevention of accidents, 
unemployment, minimum wage, sweat shop wage, and every form of soeial and 


is a ceabciaie oe Deana eitotsme ae 
| oyu had oh ee se idtined Sean over 3 ent 
eft, do as deraanee 9 ii ” ba 
hs - aay jatnwe % os a ills MAR 5 


~~ i) 


99 


industrial relation which contains the elements of foreign citizenship and 


@lien lobor. 
Jono Adums guye, "The only service Amorien ia universally eager to 


offer to the immigrant and his children and the only one it is thoroughly 


emipred te offer ie free education." 
An Alliterete teucht ic o oltigen emancipated, encbled, elevated, 


ce oak 
0 


- 


12 set ey 


% 


relma 
, ee 


: | 

14 DAY USE | 
RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED | 
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Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. 


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APR1 7 peep 


DEC 22 1964 


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vec SAKERD tog¢ 


LD 21A—15m-4,’63 
(D6471s10) 476 


General Library 
University of California 
Berkeley 


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